Helpless
by Greg'sgirl5
Summary: Riley is helpless as Catherine gets kidnapped. The team must pull together to find her.
1. 419

_Disclaimer: I don't own CSI because if I did, Riley would still be on it._

_Info: Set in season 7 or 8 but Sara is there. Hey its fiction right?_

**Helpless.**

4-19

Catherine chuckled to herself as she walked into the break room. Greg was arguing with Nick about stealing his Blue Hawaiian coffee for the third time this week.

"Greg calm down, I'll buy you more." Nick was saying to him.

"Nick, I told you not to take it!" Greg fired back.

Catherine stepped forward a little more, waiting for them to notice her- they didn't.

"Greg! Your overreacting. And Nicky, stop stealing his coffee." She said with a motherly tone. Greg and Nick were like her sons and no matter what happened, she loved them.

They looked up towards her and Nick gave her a sheepish look.

"Cath, I told him not to take it!" Greg continued on his point. His hair was spiked but had lost its blonde highlights a while back. He looked more mature without them but Catherine missed it.

"Okay, Greggo I won't take it again!" Nick told him, rolling his eyes.

Catherine had grabbed her coffee and was leaving the room as they continued. She couldn't help but silently laugh to herself. She was glad they were immature.

She made her way to the layout room, but just as she got there her phone buzzed. Looking at the screen, she read a text from Grissom. She was assigned to a 4-19 twenty minutes away.

She sighed. Already working two other cases, she was running out of energy and had just pulled a double shift.

Catherine walked past Wendy and Hodges in the hallway and smiled. They kept things interesting, alright. She had always known they liked each other and was happy they had admitted it. She continued on down the hall quickly.

Sara was in the lab with Archie going over security tapes and evidence and as Cath walked by, Sara glanced up at her. They had an on again, off again friendship and it had never really been easy.

Catherine forced a smile and Sara returned it. They both were assigned to one of the same cases and she was glad Sara was analyzing the security tapes for her.

As she walked out the doors to the parking lot Cath felt a wave of heat hit her and instantly wished for nothing more than to go straight back inside, to the air conditioned break room. Even with Nick and Greg fighting.

She walked to her car quickly, hoping that it was fairly cool inside it.

Once in her car, she rolled the windows down, turned on the air conditioning full blast and drove onto the highway.

**I know its a slow start but tell me what you think! :)**


	2. Unexpected

_Disclaimer: I don't own CSI, if i did i wouldn't be writing this. :)_

_Info: Set in season 7 or 8 but Sara is there. Hey its fiction right?_

**Helpless.**

Unexpected

Catherine ducked under the police tape at the scene. A 27 year old man had been murdered with a crow bar but nobody seemed to have seen it. Cath could see cut marks on his wrists that were healed but visible. _Depressed? _

"David said he died around seven this morning." Riley said from behind her, making Cath jump.

"Geez Riley, scared me." Cath said, startled.

"Sorry. I checked the surrounding area and found a broken beer bottle. I sent it back to the lab for testing." Riley said blushing lightly.

"Good." Catherine replied but she was lost in her own thoughts.

Riley was fairly new to the team and Catherine still didn't really know her. She hadn't had much time to actually talk to Riley, but she seemed nice enough. It was tough for the whole team after Warrick died, so they hadn't exactly welcomed Riley into their family. Although she seemed to get along fairly well with Greg which was good. Never the less Catherine got the impression that Riley felt like an outcast.

Even though they were in an alley, the breeze still got to them, making Catherine relax a little. She looked around trying to find anymore evidence that would tell them who killed the victim.

The alley way was long, but it was dark even in the afternoon sun. There was crime scene tape surrounding the entry way and markers lined the ground where blood spatter made a trail to the victim. The cops were long gone, no need to stay with two CSIs on the scene. They would be back in an hour or two. And Cath noticed that not many people were around. But that wasn't surprising seeing as though it was extremely hot and this was a deserted part of town.

Riley was near the end of they alley now, shining her flashlight on the brick walls, so Catherine walked towards her, inspecting the ground for any evidence of the murder weapon.

Just as she stood beside Riley, a man walked under the police tape and stepped forward, towards them.

"Hey, nobody's allowed in the crime scene, sir. Please go back out." Riley said sternly.

"Sir, please get out of the crime scene." Catherine continued, when the man kept walking towards them. She placed her hand on her gun holster and gave a quick glance to Riley who did the same.

Finally the man spoke. "Don't pull your guns on me CSIs. Willows don't give me that look." He said roughly, pulling out his own gun. Catherine's heart skipped a beat when she heard her name."Put your guns on the ground. Do what I say or I'll kill you. Don't think so? Well that man over there wasn't so lucky, was he?"

"Your the one who killed him?" Riley uttered quietly only to get a fierce look from Catherine.

"Yes, and many others. So I suggest you put your guns down." He repeated. The man was tall, dressed in a hoodie and jeans. He wore gloves on his hands and a baseball cap over his shaggy black hair. His blue eyes were piercing.

Cath weighed her options, but realized that they couldn't over power this guy. Yet she still had her gun pointed at him.

"Alright fine then," The man's deep voice said impatiently. "Carl, get out here."

She watched as a second man, holding another gun, walked out from behind a dumpster. Hadn't the police cleared the scene?

This man had brown hair and narrow black eyes. He was Asian but tall and fairly well built.

Once the two men were standing beside each other, the first man repeated his command.

"Guns on the ground, now." He said and Catherine made the first move. Slowly lowering her weapon, she looked at Riley and nodded. Riley did the same, although she seemed very reluctant.

"Okay, take your belts off too. No cell phones, walkie talkies or pepper spray." He commanded, giving the two women a glare. "Go on, tool belts on the ground."

Riley was the first to do what he said, and Catherine unclasped her tool belt and let it fall to the ground. She watched Riley out of the corner of her eye. She seemed to be shaking lightly as she stood back up.

"Alright, Carl, you take care of Adams and I'll get Willows."

The two CSI's watched in fear as the men walked towards them, sending shivers down their spines.

**Didn't expext that huh? Tell me what you think! :)**


	3. Separated

_Disclaimer: I don't own CSI, only my imagination._

_Info: Set in season 7 or 8 but Sara is there. Hey its fiction right?_

**Helpless.**

Separated.

Carl walked towards Riley and she shivered, feeling frozen from head to toe. He pulled duct tape out of his pocket and Riley took a small step backwards.

Carl smiled. He grabbed her arm and she tried to pull away, but he pushed the gun to her temple and she stopped fighting. Riley was terrified. She could see Catherine fighting the other man, but losing the battle.

"Stop!" Catherine shouted but was muffled as the man shoved his hand over her mouth.

Carl pushed her towards the gated off dumpsters and shoved her on to the ground. She wasn't expecting it and fell flat on her stomach, knocking the wind out of her. There was a searing pain in her leg and she realized that it had landed on a piece of glass.

Carl grabbed her wrists and pulled her into a sitting position. She didn't fight, he still had his gun. She didn't know why but she didn't move, or speak. She was too scared.

He tied both her wrists together above her head and taped them to the metal gate. Riley felt cold with fear, she had never been tied up before. She had heard that some of the team already had, but this was different. This was now.

Carl tied her ankles together and re-taped her hands, so tight she couldn't even move them. With that being done he shoved a piece of duct tape over her mouth. She was completely helpless.

Riley watched in fear as Catherine was tied up and shoved in the back of a truck at the end of the alley. For a brief second, their eyes met and Cath looked terrified.

Before Riley could register what happened, they had shut the trunk, jumped in the car and sped off leaving her shivering, tied to a gate, with no way of getting help.

XXX

Catherine looked around the trunk in terror, her feet and hands bound and her mouth covered by tape.

Riley had looked so scared when they tied her up and drove away. _Please let someone find her. Soon._

Catherine tried to think rationally but her breath was becoming more and more uneven as she thought of Lindsey not knowing what happened. _Linds... oh Lindsey I love you. _Cath's eyes became blurry with tears.

They were still driving in a straight line so Catherine had a little knowledge of where they were. But just as she had the thought, they turned and turned again, making her lose her sense of direction. She had no idea where they were and nobody else did either.

Grissom and the others wouldn't start looking for her for a few hours, unless someone found Riley, and no one would look for her for a while either.

After driving for what seemed like hours the truck stopped and she could hear the two men getting out. She heard footsteps and was plunged into bright light as they opened the lid of the trunk.

Someone lifted her out and covered her eyes with his hand. She tried to squirm out of his arms but stopped when once again, a gun was pushed to her neck.

She sighed and cooperated as they led her forwards. She heard a door creak open and cool air. Cath figured they must be in a house or a building.

Her heart was pounding in her chest as they went through another door. All of a sudden the man holding her threw her on the cement floor and walked away, closing a door behind him.

Cath's head was spinning as she looked around. She was in a small room, with cement floors and grey walls. There was only one very small window and it was much too high for her to see out of.

She tried to think about what happened but she was too filled with fear to think.

_Please find me... please._

_**That wasn't what you thought would happen was it? Tell me if you liked it so I can make it better!**  
_


	4. Surprises

_Disclaimer: I don't own CSI because if i did, i would be rich. :)_

_Info: Set in season 7 or 8 but Sara is there. Hey its fiction right?_

**Helpless.**

Surprises.

Riley sat, still shivering, tied to the gate in the alley. From what she could tell it had been an hour or so since they took Catherine and nobody had come anywhere near the alley.

She was facing away from where her car was and she couldn't see much as it was. Just the other end of the alley where about 10 meters away, the body was still lying.

She heard another car go by and silently prayed for it to stop. Of course it didn't. Riley sighed and shivered again.

Fear had always made her cold, ever since she was little. Once when her house was robbed she had hid in the closet and gotten so cold that when her mom found her she had to wrap her up in blankets to keep warm. Of course she had only been 8 years old then, but she still became cold when she was scared.

Riley heard a car roll to a stop, snapping her back to reality. She tried to move her hands but they were stuck and her legs were folded to the side making it hard to move.

_What if they came back for me?_ She thought, shivering at the idea.

Riley heard footsteps coming towards her. She couldn't see who it was and she was scared.

Then she heard a voice. An all too familiar voice. Relief surged through her.

"Cath? Riley? Where are you?" Greg called out from behind her. She saw him slowly walk past her and she tried to move to get his attention. Her movement made the gravel skitter around.

He turned to look at her and she heard his breath hitch. His hands were shaking as he stared. It had only been about 2 seconds but it felt like eternity. Finally he recovered from his shock.

"Oh my god, Riley what happened? Hold on." He said, bending down to slowly pull the tape off her mouth.

She took a shaky breath before looking him in the eye. "They took Catherine. We have to find her. They went that way I think," She looked in the direction where they went. "They took her, we need to find her... They had guns.." She said shakily the end of her sentence sounding thick with the stress of what had happened.

Greg took the tape off her wrists and ankles and held her hand. "It's okay Riley, we'll find her, are you hurt?" He asked quietly.

She shook her head but he gave her a quizzical look when he pointed at her leg, which was bleeding.

"Oh, right. He threw me on the ground... Guess I landed on some glass." She said and leaned on his shoulder shivering. He put an arm around her shoulder while he radioed back to the team.

"I need paramedics to 478 Franco street and have the other CSI's come. One investigator hurt, the other missing." He said in a worried voice.

A few seconds later his phone rang. "Sanders." She heard Grissom on the other line. "Yes, Riley's here, they took Cath." Again Riley heard Grissom speak in a worried voice. "Yes I will. Bye." Greg snapped his phone shut and looked back at her.

She shivered again and he held her closer. She had thought no one would find her. Her relief was so strong she couldn't think.

"I know your a little freaked out, but can you tell me what happened?" Greg asked her quietly, his face full of concern. It was strange to see him so serious- he was usually the upbeat one.

"Yeah. This guy came under the police tape and pulled out a gun. We told him to leave but he told us we had to put our guns down..." She continued shakily "He knew our names." She said, moving to sit up and look at Greg. He waited patiently for her to continue. She took a deep breath.

"We wouldn't put our guns down so he called for this other guy named Carl and he came out with a gun too. He told us we had to put our guns down and Catherine did, so I did too... I shouldn't have. He made us take off our equipment belts so we had no pepper spray or phones and then Carl came after me and the other guy went after Catherine." She paused to glance up at him. He was becoming pale.

"And he tied me up... the other guy tied Catherine up and put her into he trunk of the truck. It was black... I don't remember the plates or anything else. Greg she looked scared... really scared." Riley looked up at him.

He looked distracted as he stared at the brick wall. Then he blinked and looked back down at her.

"We'll find her. We will." He said slowly.

"Greg," She said reluctantly. "The guy who has Catherine killed that guy." She pointed at the body.

Greg bit his lip.

XXX

"What?" Nick said in disbelief. Grissom was staring at him expectantly.

"They took Cath? Gris, I need to come with you I have first hand experience and-" But he was interrupted by Grissom.

"Nick, you can come. Go get Sara and tell the lab to process the evidence that was already brought back." he said before leaving the room.

Nick ran down the hall and found Sara in the layout room. She was organizing print outs when he walked in.

"Sara, we gotta go, now." He told her only to have her give him a confused look.

"Nick, I'm in the middle of-"

"Cath's been kidnapped and Riley was hurt. Greg's already at the scene." He told her impatiently.

The papers fell out of her hands. "What?" She asked in shock. She recovered a second later and was walking out of the room. "Lets go."

"Hold on, I have to tell the lab. Meet you at the scene." Nick told her and walked quickly in the other direction.

When he got to the lab he found Wendy, Hodges and Mandy inspecting a cloth covered in blood.

"Guys move Cath and Riley's case to the top of your list. Cath got kidnapped and Riley was found tied up at the scene." He told them briskly.

Their faces told their thoughts exactly. Hodges had a dumbstruck look as he stared at Nick. Wendy became silent and looked at him in disbelief. And Mandy looked absolutely horrified.

"I gotta go to the scene. Process the evidence cause whoever has Cath, killed the victim." He said and strode out of the room.

Once he left Mandy looked at Wendy. They didn't need words. They both ran back to their labs and began processing.

**So should I add more? The quicker you review the quicker I write! Tell me if you like it, hate it (dont be too harsh) or love it. :)**


	5. Alone

_Disclaimer: I don't own CSI because if i did i would have people to write this :)_

_Info: Set in season 7 or 8 but Sara is there. Hey its fiction right?_

**Helpless.**

Alone.

Catherine had been lying on the ground for a while now. Her arm was in a huge amount of pain and as she looked down she could see blood on her shirt.

She had tried to sit up several times but she couldn't get her balance. She began to think about all the people she would miss. Lindsey, Nick, Greg, Gil, the lab techs, heck even Sara and Riley.

She remembered all the fights she got into with Lindsey. When she had got in a fight at school, When she had tried to hitch hike. And just a week ago when she had found her at a club with a fake ID. But regardless of the fights, she loved Linds more than anything and it was important to survive for her.

Cath sighed. They had to find her here. It was kind of close to the scene so they might find her soon. The lab techs would be working double time on the evidence from the crime and if they found DNA maybe they could trace it back to the car and trace the car to wherever she was now.

Sure it was a bit of a long shot but she had to stay positive. Catherine still couldn't believe she had been kidnapped. It had happened to Nick and Sara already and even her daughter had been abducted once. Wasn't that enough? Why did she have to get taken by the killer of the victim?

Even with her sadness she couldn't help but be glad it wasn't Riley they took. From what she could tell Riley was a smart young woman and Cath would have felt horrible if they had taken Riley and not her.

And she was sort of relieved in a strange way that she had been the one to be taken and not anyone else on the team. She didn't even want to think about the chance that someone else might have been kidnapped and not her. Greg was so young and had already been blown up and beaten by a gang and Nick had been through way too much being kidnapped and buried alive. Catherine shivered at the thought. Not to mention Sara being taken by the miniature killer and Grissom's stress had skyrocketed since then. In a way she was glad they had taken her and not anyone else.

But of course her thoughts came back to Lindsey. She couldn't die here. No. She had to be strong for Lindsey. Poor Lindsey...

Just then the door flew open, snapping her out of her thoughts. The guy named Carl walked in first, followed by the man who tied her up.

"Hello Catherine." Carl said looking down at her. The other man bent down and ripped the tape off her mouth. She cringed as some of hair stuck to it.

"Why the hell did you kidnap me? And how do you know who I am?" She asked in an annoyed voice.

"Well, we took you because we wanted to teach you a lesson. That you aren't always safe, just because you have a gun." The other man said.

"I'm well aware of that, thanks." She said frustratedly. Glaring at the men.

"And we know who you are because even though you don't realize it, you know who we are." Carl said mysteriously.

"What? I don't know you." She spat at Carl trying as hard as she could to seem strong.

"You don't remember when your precious daughter was taken? Because you arrested the wrong man." He said with a sneer.

"You took Lindsey?" Her voice cracked near the end. She couldn't help but have a wave of fear, sadness and anger wash over her. "Your sick you know that?"

"Yes we do." The man said with another smirk. "But that's how we like it. Now we thought we would be nice and give your friends a fair chance of finding you. We left both our DNA at the scene, so if your lab is as good as its supposed to be, then hopefully they'll find you. The truck is registered under my name so maybe they can track it here." He continued, smirking the entire time.

Catherine manged to sit up and glare at Carl and the other man once again.

"And just so you know," The other man said with a glint in his eye, "Were gonna leave you here. And they'll have to find you. We also thought we would give them a fair chance of finding us after they find you... whether your alive or not." Catherine was beginning to breathe faster with fear. "So we've left fingerprints on the door and if they find you in time you can let them know that my name's Branden and his is Carl." He finished with a smile.

"Don't you leave me here," Catherine began but was cut off by Carl once again.

"Goodbye Willow's. I do hope your friends find you... or Lindsey would be so sad... Goodbye." He said and walked out the door. Branden gave her a wink and followed, locking the door behind him.

A few minutes later she heard an engine start and drive away. But she could tell it wasn't the truck, it must have been another car.

Now she was alone, tied up, locked in a small room with no hope of escaping. She prayed that the team would find her before it was too late. They had to.

**Didn't see that coming huh? Oh yes, it gets better! But you gotta review for me to put more on!**


	6. Guilt And Worry

_Disclaimer: I don't own CSI because if i did this would be an episode. :p_

_Info: Set in season 7 or 8 but Sara is there. Hey its fiction right?_

**Helpless.**

Guilt and Worry.

Riley sat on the floor in the locker room, holding her head in her hands.

After being released from the scene with a small bandage on her leg she had driven straight back to the lab. Although when she got there and was stared at by everyone the guilt began eating away at her.

No matter where she went, someone was staring at her. They tried not to make it obvious but Riley could see them looking.

Why had she put her damn gun down? Why hadn't she fought Carl? The guilt hit her again, making her heart heavy and her hands began shaking.

With the stress of being tied up, the guilt of letting Catherine be abducted and the constant stares from everyone in the building, Riley wanted to hide under a table. A tear rolled down her cheek as she remembered Catherine's eyes. They had been filled with fear. _And it's all my fault._

Through her tears she saw someone look in the doorway. She didn't care if they were staring. She just didn't care anymore. But the figure didn't leave. Instead it moved towards her and sat down at her side.

Slowly, she looked up from the floor, and found Greg sitting beside her. She didn't even bother to wipe her eyes as she spoke.

"It's all my fault Greg. I-i didn't fight. I froze up. And i put my damn gun down. Now we don't know where she is and... I just should have fought him off." She said and put her head in her hands once again.

"Riley... Its not your fault." He said while carefully placing a hand on her back. He leaned in closer and said, "You couldn't have done anything. We all freeze up sometimes."

Surprised by his gentle words, she simply sighed. After a few seconds she looked up into his eyes.

"Yes it is my fault. And I'll never forgive myself. And no one else will either. Have you seen them? All they've done is stare at me. This is all because of me." Her words were shakey as another tear rolled down her cheek.

"Riley. Nobody blames you. And you shouldn't. I don't blame you and Catherine doesn't either. Stop thinking about what could have happened and focus on helping her." He said, while pulling her into a hug. "It's okay Riley. It's okay." He rubbed her back.

She stared into his deep brown eyes and felt safe in his arms. Tears blurred her vision and she wiped them away with the back of her hand.

"Lets go find her." She said and stood up. Greg stood beside her and she stepped towards the door, winking at him. But he grabbed her hand and held it as they walked down the hall together.

XXX

Sara put a marker on a small splatter of blood and stood up to look at Grissom. His eyes were filled with concern.

"Get that tested for DNA. It might be Catherine's." She told him, looking down at her feet. She was overcome by an awkward sadness.

Throughout the years Sara and Catherine had fought repeatedly, but they both felt n the inside that they could be friends, if it wasn't so awkward. Not that either of them would admit it.

Sara walked towards Nick who was processing the tape that had been used to tie up Riley. Even though she didn't know her very well Sara felt horrible about Riley's ordeal.

When she had gotten to the crime scene, Greg had his arm around Riley trying to comfort her. The paramedics bandaged her leg and he spoke to her throughout, telling her it was okay, and that they would find Catherine. Riley was strong and didn't cry, but Sara could see the guilt in her eyes.

Sara didn't want to think about the time she had been abducted but she shivered at the thought. She pushed it to the back of her mind and bent down beside Nick.

"Found much?" She asked, trying to expect the worst. Greg hadn't worn gloves so must of the prints would be his.

"Well, there is a hair on this piece. It cant be Riley's and Greg's hair is brown so I think this might be the killers." He told her in his Texan accent.

"Good. Lets send it to the lab with the blood I found." She said and stood back up.

Just then her phone rang, it was Mandy. "Sidle."

"Sara, we found DNA. There's two men. One is Carl Fisher and the other is Branden Markis." Mandy said over the line.

"Good, check if either of them owns a black truck." Sara told her.

"I'm way ahead of you. Branden does and I checked for a GPS. There isn't one." Mandy sounded rushed.

Sara's heart dropped. "Okay what's the licence plate?"

"L4Y 29D. Drive around with the team and see if you can find it." Mandy sounded hopeful.

"I will, thanks Mandy." Sara said and snapped her phone shut.

She walked to the end of the alley and ignoring protocol hopped in her SUV and started it. She backed out of the alley, trying to ignore Grissom and Nick's confused stares and drove away.

**Like it? Tell me! I think Riley needs someone. And Greg is so sweet. Review so i will add more! **


	7. Rush

_Disclaimer: I don't own CSI okay? What about that don't you get?_

_Info: Set in season 7 or 8 but Sara is there. Hey its fiction right?_

**Helpless.**

Rush.

Riley ran down the hall with the lab results. She had already phoned Grissom only to find out that Sara had already left. As far as he knew she was probably searching for the car. She wasn't answering his calls.

Trace had found small amounts of white dust on the tape, which turned out to be a mineral that was used years ago to make plastic products.

She rushed into the projector room where Greg was on his laptop searching for information on the Carl and Branden.

"Move." She said and slid the laptop towards her. He gave her a curious look and moved to the left, letting her take his place.

Quickly she logged onto the network and looked up all the old factories in the area of the crime. Several were wood factories, others metal. But one in particular, fifteen minutes from the scene had been used to make plastic and had closed six years ago.

Her eyes lit up as she turned her head towards Greg. He raised his eyebrows at her.

"I think this is where Catherine is." She told him

He was already standing up. "Lets go."

XXX

Sara's phone rang as she rounded a street corner. Carefully checking to make sure it wasn't Gil, she was surprised to see Riley's name on the screen.

"Sidle." She answered.

"I think I know where she is. Its an abandoned plastic factory near the scene. Its 61 Dorson Street. Were on our way." Riley's voice said hurriedly.

"Got it." Sara said.

"Wait. Don't go in till the cops get there." Riley sounded worried.

"Don't worry." Sara told her and hung up.

She turned on her police lights and sped towards the factory.

She pulled into the parking lot and stepped out of the car. She wasn't gonna wait for the cops. She had never been a patient person.

Grabbing her gun off her belt, she walked towards the door. She tried to stay out of sight as she checked the handle. It was unlocked.

She was quiet and slowly walked into the factory. The place seemed really big. It could take her a while to find Cath.

Her phone rang in her pocket. _Shit. _She hadn't turned it on silent.

"Sidle." She whispered cautiously.

"You didn't wait did you?" Greg's voice came over the line.

"Hell, no." She whispered while turning a corner. It seemed quiet but she wasn't taking chances.

"Sara... You were supposed to wait. The guys have guns." He pleaded with her.

"So do I Greg. I gotta go." She was beginning to hear interference in her ear. _Stupid phone._

"Sara..." He pleaded again.

'Bye Greg, see you soon." She told him and slowly shut her phone.

She held her gun tighter as she walked down a second hallway. It was cold in here. _Air conditioning?_

She didn't want to make noise but she had to risk it.

"Cath?" She uttered quickly.

"Cath?" She said it louder this time.

Sara continued to call her name as she walked passed doors in the hallway.

Once she got to the end of it she called out louder.

"Catherine?" In the distance she heard a noise. It made her heart jump. Not out of hope, but of fear. What if the killers were still here? But she walked towards it regardless.

"Cath?" She called again.

"Hello?" Sara heard from down the hall. It was definitely Catherine. Filled with relief she walked towards the voice. Sara was a risk taker and even though the men might still be there she called out again.

"Cath, where are you? Are they still there?" Sara gripped her gun and stepped towards Catherine's voice.

"Over here. No they left." She heard her say from behind a door at the end of the hall.

She ran to the end of the hall. And heard Catherine again.

"Hurry Sara, I'm bleeding pretty bad." She sounded like she was in a lot of pain.

Sara rushed to the door and tried the handle. "Its locked Cath. Hold on a sec." She yelled through the door. It was a metal door so she couldn't just force it open.

_Crap. What now?_

**Tell me what you thought! Hahaha Small cliff hangerrrrr :)**


	8. Found

_Disclaimer: I don't own CSI! Honestly I don't. :)_

_Info: Set in season 7 or 8 but Sara is there. Hey its fiction right?_

**Helpless.**

Found.

Catherine was starting to lose hope. She had been tied up with her hands behind her back for hours and her arm was bleeding like crazy.

But finally after what seemed like forever, she heard a voice calling her name.

"Hello?" She called back weakly.

"Cath? Where are you? Are they still there?" She heard Sara call. Relief washed over her. She had never been so happy to hear Sara's voice.

"Over here. No they left." Cath said a little louder.

She heard Sara's footsteps come closer. She tried to move but her arm blazed with pain in response.

"Hurry Sara. I'm bleeding pretty bad." She said, her voice filled with pain. She tried to take deep breaths as she heard Sara rattle the door knob.

"Its locked Cath. Hold on a sec." She heard Sara bang on the lock but the door didn't open.

A few seconds went by and Cath was getting worried.

"Shoot it." Catherine yelled.

"What?" Sara called from the other side. She had expected that response.

"Shoot the lock." Cath repeated.

"Cath, it could kill you!" Sara yelled in a frustrated voice.

"I'm on the other side of the room," Catherine lied. "Shoot it."

It was silent on the other side and she could imagine Sara debating her options. Then a deafening bang filled the air.

Sara swung the door open and saw her. "You said you said you were on the other side of the room!" Sara looked at her accusingly.

"Yeah well I'm a little impatient." She said and grunted in pain as she accidentally moved her arm.

Sara ran over to her and untied her ankles. "Crap Cath, you had us worried sick." She told her as she gently ripped off the tape holding her arms together.

She slowly moved her arm forward, trying to ignore the screaming pain.

"Is Riley okay?" She couldn't help but ask.

"She's fine, but she thinks this is her fault." Sara said, putting a hand on Cath's knee.

"It's not. If anything it's mine." She said and looked up at Sara."What about Linds?" She asked, wincing as her arm throbbed again.

"She's a little freaked out. Why do you ask?" Sara said curiously.

"Cause the guys who took me were the ones who took her. They said we arrested the wrong guy."

Sara gave her a frustrated look and sighed.

But then they heard footsteps. Catherine assumed it was the cops and tried to even her breathing.

But her heart felt cold as she saw who it was : Carl and Branden.

XXX

Grissom sighed as he drove into the parking lot of the factory. Of course Sara had gone in by herself. Stubborn as ever.

He was about to get out of his car when the cops pulled in. Deciding that Brass would just have to let him come, he got out of his seat and crossed the parking lot.

As he walked, his radio crackled. He saw the other cops and CSIs look down at theirs. He heard Sara's voice on the other end.

"Nobody come in here. Catherine's injured but both suspects on scene. Nobody come in." He heard her voice. She sounded worried.

His heart hammered in his chest as he made eye contact with Greg, who's expression mimicked his.

Riley's eyes were filled with guilt as he looked into them. He walked towards her and put one hand on her shoulder.

"Look what I've done Grissom! Now I've put Sara in danger too! This is all my fault." She muttered, while sitting down on the curb. He bent down beside her.

" It's not your fault. I don't blame you." He told her comfortingly.

"And I don't either." Greg held Riley's hand as he told her.

Grissom stood up to walk towards Brass.

"We have to get them out of there." He told him, trying to stay calm and ignore the rising fear in his stomach.

_Hold on Sara... We'll get you out of there..._

**Didn't see that coming did ya? Actually neither did i. Hehe tell me what you think!**


	9. Chance

_Disclaimer: I don't own CSI! Just my brain:)_

_Info: Set in season 7 or 8 but Sara is there. Hey its fiction right?_

**Helpless.**

Chance.

Sara's heart pounded as she saw Branden and Carl walk through the door way. Before they could do anything she had her gun pointed at them and was standing protectively in front of Cath.

She grabbed her radio and told the rest of the cops and CSIs the situation. "Don't come in here. Cath is injured but both suspects are on scene. Don't come in."

Carl pointed his gun at her. "Hand it over. Come on give it to me."

"No way." Sara told him fiercely.

She knew she couldn't shoot them seeing as though both had guns and she or Catherine would be shot. But if she could distract them long enough maybe a swat team could get here.

But Brandon stepped forward, put his gun to her neck and grabbed the radio out of her hand. Sara continued to glare at them. She wasn't going to show weakness.

The reality of the danger was beginning to set in and Sara was beginning to worry.

"Alright lets say hi to your friends, shall we?" Carl said maniacally and grabbed the radio.

"Carl, don't." Sara told him, tightening her grip on her gun. The last thing she needed was the others to worry about them. Grissom would do something stupid.

"Sara..." Catherine warned her from behind her. She was leaning against the wall, holding her arm.

But Carl clicked on the radio and began speaking. "Hello Grissom and the rest of you. How are you? Catherine isn't doing too great." He paused. "Anyway don't send anyone down here or both of them are dead, got it?"

Brass's voice crackled through the speakers. "Carl and Branden you better let them go or there's a spot in hell waiting for you."

Sara was staring at Brandon nervously. He still had his gun pointed at Cath and Carl's was pointed at her.

"That's fine Brass. Then there'll be spots for a few of you too." He said and switched it off.

Sara was debating in her head a way to get out of this mess. They were blocking the door, both of them had guns and even if a swat team could find them, no matter what her or Cath would be shot.

Even with that said, Sara was one to take risks. And she made her move.

XXX

Cath was leaning against the wall, holding her arm, which was in agony. Her breathe was short and she was slipping of the edge of consciousness.

Trying to stay focused she glared at Branden who still had his gun pointed at her. Carl was still talking on the radio and Sara had her gun pointed at them.

Catherine knew Sara had a temper and she was worried that she might say or do something dumb.

"That's fine Brass. Then there'll be spots for a few of you too." Carl said into the radio and switched it off.

There were brief seconds of silence before Sara made a move. Cath could only watch as she slammed herself into Branden, making him fall to the floor. Carl took a little too long to react and Sara shot him in the chest.

She looked back at Cath and she pushed off from the wall and ran towards her. It had only been about five seconds and Branden was starting to stand up.

Catherine ran with Sara out the door and through the hall. They ducked around a corner as a bullet whizzed past them. Sara shot backwards and the continued to run.

Another bullet barely missed them as they ducked behind a wall. Catherine could here Branden running towards them and she tried to keep up with Sara.

She was weak and was beginning to slow down with fatigue. Sara grabbed her good arm and pulled her along as they went through the maze of halls.

More bullets were whizzing through the air and Catherine was filled with panic. One of them would be shot. She was sure of it.

Sara shot back again and they ran down another hallway.

Just then her fears turned into reality. Sara fell to the ground, holding her leg in pain. There was blood running down to her foot.

"Shit." She whispered, her voice small and pained. Now Catherine was the one helping her.

"Come on, he's gonna kill us. Lets go." She said and pulled Sara up, putting her arm over her own shoulder.

Trying to stay quick, they stumbled through the labrinth of halls until she could see the front door up ahead.

But Branden was no where to be seen.

**Dum dum dummmmmmm ahaha tell what you think! :)**


	10. Redemption

_Disclaimer: I don't own CSI! Honestly I don't. :)_

_Info: Set in season 7 or 8 but Sara is there. Hey its fiction right?_

**Helpless.**

Redemption.

Riley was extremely worried. Carl had come over the radio a few minutes ago and told Brass not to come in or he would kill Sara and Catherine. And it was all her fault.

Greg was still standing nervously behind the police cars with Grissom who was looking very pale. Brass and the police force had their guns pointed at the front door, waiting for someone to come out. He had decided to wait for a few minutes before making a move.

In the building she heard gunshots and Riley's guilt doubled. Her knees felt weak as she slowly moved to stand beside Greg.

She saw Brass debating what to do.

And then Sara and Catherine burst through the door. Riley's knees almost gave out when she saw the state of them.

Catherine's arm was soaked in blood and she looked exhausted. Sara was limping, as blood trickled from a bullet hole in her thigh.

It was silent until Grissom ran towards Sara. "Oh my god, Sara are you okay?" He said, leaning her off of Catherine, who leaned against the wall.

Sara nodded and grimaced.

Greg ran towards Catherine and Riley reluctantly followed. "Cath, you okay?" Greg asked looking at her arm nervously.

"Ya," She said in a weak voice. Riley stood beside her and looked her in the eyes.

"I'm so sorry Catherine. This is all my fault. I'm so, so sorry. I just... I'm so sorry." She said, surprised that Cath let her finish.

"It's not your fault Riley. And you know it." She said, and leaned against Greg, who walked her towards the ambulance that was pulling into the lot. Sara and Catherine were loaded into the ambulance, with Grissom, who refused to leave Sara's side, and were driven to the hospital.

"Sara said she killed Carl and as far as she knows, she killed Branden too." Nick informed the team as he jogged back from where the ambulance had been.

Brass sighed and looked at the police. They lowered their weapons and relaxed slightly.

Greg walked towards Riley, who was still by the doors and pulled her into a hug. She accepted it, feeling ten times as guilty as before. He pulled away, smiling, and looked at her.

"See? She doesn't blame you. And they're gonna be okay." He told her reassuringly.

"_I_ still blame me." She said and glanced at the ground. She could hear Nick discussing Sara and Catherine's condition with the lab techs over the phone. From what she could tell they were all very relieved.

She looked up at Greg once again who was staring at Brass. They seemed to be having a silent conversation. But a slight movement in the window of the door caught her eye.

There, pointing a gun at Greg, was Branden.

"Greg!" She yelled and, acting on instincts, she launched her self at him, knocking him to the ground as a bullet whizzed through the air, barely missing them.

The glass shattered from the window, landing on top of them. She saw Brass pull out his gun and fire. Then everything went black.

XXX

Greg landed on the ground, next to Riley and looked up in shock. Brass shot at Branden, who collapsed onto the floor.

His mind still slowly piecing together what happened, he soon realized that Riley had saved him. His breathe flew out of his lungs.

Greg looked down at Riley and his stomach went cold as he saw that she was passed out. He shook her gently, calling her name. The worry built up inside him. Somewhere in his mind he noticed Nick standing beside him, asking him something that he couldn't hear. All his focus was on Riley.

"Riley. Riley!" He said nervously. She was breathing but that didn't reassure him much.

Finally, in what seemed like slow motion, she opened her eyes. He looked into them, watching her focus on him. A tear rolled down her check and he wiped it away with his finger.

"It's okay Riley. You saved me." He told her, wondering if she realized. She looked confused for a moment but she exhaled a deep breath he didn't realize she had been holding.

She leaned her face on his arm and he felt another tear wet his skin. Greg put his hand on her back and looked up at Nick. He seemed satisfied that she was fine and walked towards Brass.

It had taken till now but finally Greg felt relief. If Riley Hadn't seen Branden, he would be dead right now. He looked down at her again.

"Don't cry. You saved me. Thank you Riley." He said and tried his best to smile. Her face seemed to relax slightly and her tears slowed.

"I don't know what to say." She said slowly.

"You don't have to." He said and kissed her on the cheek. He was glad that nobody saw and he could tell Riley was too. The last thing they needed right now was more drama.

He sat up with a little difficulty and realized that his shoulder must be sprained. How had he not noticed that?

Riley manged to sit up and looked at her hip. He saw a piece of glass wedged through her jeans.

"Crap." She said and looked at him.

Greg looked up and saw Brass telling Nick to begin processing and that the day shift would be here soon.

"Brass?" He said, watching as Jim turned to look at him. "Call the paramedics. He's got glass in her and I think my shoulder's sprained."

It was Nick that spoke instead of Brass. "What? You were fine a minute ago."

'Ya. A little caught up in the moment I guess." He said and saw Nick raise an eyebrow. Greg diverted his gaze to Brass who was radioing the dis-batch.

It was gonna be okay. It really was.

**Liked it? Its not overrr haha I wouldn't leave it like that. Review so I will post the end!**


	11. Confessions

_Disclaimer: I don't own CSI! I wish I did though._

_Info: Set in season 7 or 8 but Sara is there. Hey its fiction right?_

**Helpless.**

Confessions.

Sara sat in a chair near Catherine's hospital bed thinking about Grissom. Next to her Catherine was texting Lindsey, who was coming to visit in an hour or two.

She sighed and looked out the window at the mid-day sun. She heard from Gil that Greg had almost been shot by Branden yesterday and that Riley had saved him.

She smiled at the thought. He had also given her the hint that they might be more than friends. She wouldn't say anything though.

Catherine finished texting and looked over at Sara. "I'm sorry this happened." She said quietly, shifting in her bed.

"It's not your fault Cath. It's not." Sara said "And I'm fine." She tapped her crutches.

"You know... I was so glad to hear your voice when you came for me." Catherine said awkwardly looking down at her arm, which was wrapped in gauze and bandages.

"Well, I was happy I found you. Did they just leave you there?" She asked, not wanting to come off as rude.

"Yep. I was kinda losing hope at that point." She twiddled her phone in her hands.

Catherine was never one to lose hope and Sara was surprised to hear she had. "You shouldn't have. The team and the lab were working as fast as we could to find you. It was Riley that cracked the case though." Sara said and remembered the phone call.

She didn't regret going in the factory. Just regretted not running faster away from Branden. Now she was stuck using crutches for a few weeks.

"She still thinks it's her fault doesn't she..." Catherine trailed off.

"Yes. I hope she gets over it. She's with Greg. He sprained his shoulder when she jumped on him." Sara said, wondering if Catherine knew.

"I heard. I also heard from Nick that they might be a little more than friends?" Catherine said, giving Sara a curious look.

"I don't know. But I won't rat them out. They need each other." She said, looking Catherine in the eyes. "We didn't exactly welcome her in. But he did." Sara said, sighing.

"I feel horrible." Catherine said. "And she still feels guilty. I'm the one who's guilty! Its my fault." Catherine said regretfully.

"It's not. You did everything you could. Hey, we all make mistakes." Sara told her, trying to cheer her up.

"You know... I think even though we fought, we can still be friends." Catherine said and avoided Sara's eyes.

"Ya. Me too." Sara said after a few seconds.

Catherine smiled and Sara returned it, not remembering the last time she really smiled.

XXX

Riley was staring off into space when Greg woke up. Slowly she saw him open his big brown eyes. He gave her a warm hearted smile.

She smiled back. She had been waiting in his room for hours now, he had gotten a brace for his shoulder and had been put under so he wouldn't feel the pain.

"Hey." She said quietly.

"Hey." He said back, looking her in the eyes. "You okay?" He asked glancing towards her hip, where there was a lump from the gauze.

"Yeah. How about you?" Riley asked reluctantly.

"Should be fine... Listen, Riley, I... I can't thank you enough. You saved me." He said, and glanced down at his hands.

She stood up and sat beside him on the bed. Being careful not to hurt his shoulder, she leaned in to hug him. But instead Greg leaned up and kissed her.

She was surprised but definitely not unwilling. After a few moments she pulled away and smiled.

"You know Riley," Greg began slowly. "I kinda love you." He said smirking.

"I kinda love you too." Riley said back and held his hand.

After everything that happened, finally, she didn't feel like such an outcast.

The End :)

**Please review so I can write another one! Pllleaasseeeeee :p**


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